It was reported by the New York Times that the political party of Pakistan's imprisoned former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, emerged victorious in this week's parliamentary elections, dealing a significant blow to the country's influential military and plunging the political landscape into disarray.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan attends talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People on November 2, 2018 in Beijing, China.
The military had anticipated the elections would quell the political unrest that followed Mr. Khan's removal from power in 2022. However, instead of resolving tensions, the outcome has exacerbated the crisis, leading analysts to describe it as deeper than before.
The success of Mr. Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (P.T.I.), in securing approximately 97 seats in the National Assembly, Pakistan's lower house of Parliament, was unprecedented. The New York TImes went on to reveal that this victory was achieved without the endorsement of the military, a remarkable feat in the country's political history, especially considering the military's previous strong-arm tactics against Khan's party.
Despite P.T.I.'s lead in parliamentary seats, according to the New York Times, they fell short of a simple majority, prompting a scramble between Khan's party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (P.M.L.N.), led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, to garner support from other lawmakers and form a coalition government.
Were The Results Manipulated By The Military?
Furthermore, leaders of Khan's party have announced plans to challenge dozens of election results they believe were manipulated by the military. They have also threatened peaceful protests if the remaining results are not disclosed by Sunday.
The victory of Khan's party defied the military's expectations, who had aimed for an easy win for Sharif's party. Despite efforts to sideline Khan's party through arrests and intimidation, the election results affirmed Khan's enduring influence in Pakistani politics.
The New York Times went on to reveal that on Friday evening, Mr. Khan's party released a victory speech using a computer-generated voice to simulate that of Mr. Khan, who has been jailed since August. "I congratulate you all for your election 2024 victory. I had full confidence that you would all come out to vote," the A.I.-generated voice said. "Your massive turnout has stunned everybody."
On Friday, HNGN reported that Pakistan's former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif would acheive victory in the national elections. At the time, Sharif asserted that his political party had emerged with the majority vote. He did not disclose the number of seats his party had won, as counting was still underway to determine the last few of the 265 seats.
